He makes a promise to himself.
As the land fades behind a pall of mist, he takes up what remains of the Jewel of Four Souls. Dawn light streams along the dark facets, tinting them a bitter red.
It is well he disposed of the other half. He remembers the way she looked at him the night before. Were the Jewel intact, he may have been tempted to use it again.
But this he swears: He will kill every demon that walks the earth, before another half-breed comes between them.
Turning his back on the eastern horizon, he makes his way to the bow of the ship.
There she stands, gazing out at the vastness of the sea.
Her folded arms rest upon the railing. Her back is to him. Yet still her spine stiffens at his approach.
She turns. Her eyes narrow at his chest.
An errant thought crosses his mind. Once more, he wonders.
Claws slip beneath the neck of his haori and withdraw the dark half-moon of crystal.
Bring me a jewel, she had said.
Her eyes widen in awe as he places the gift on her palm. Though her powers are sealed, the Jewel clears in her hand.
“What is this?” she asks him, in quiet reverence.
“A piece of the Shikon no Tama,” he replies. “For you.”
She tilts her palm this way and that, admiring how the gem catches the light. A stray beam fractures against its points, iridescence flooding its crystalline depths. She is trembling faintly, though he doubts she is aware.
When at last she gazes up at him, the ardor in her eyes arrests him completely.
“Will you have it set for me?”
There is nothing she could have asked of him, in that moment, which he would have denied her.
As she returns to her cabin, he scores a hole through the half-Jewel and strings it upon a fine silver chain. Holding the simmering pendant aloft, he makes a promise to her as well.
Half now, he vows as he ventures below deck. Later, the whole.
Then the circle will be complete.
And she will remain his forever.
She has fallen asleep in the copper tub. Milky water obscures her form. She does not stir even as he draws close and fits the chain around her neck.
The pendant lightens against her dewy skin. Her hand strays unconsciously to it.
He can see that she is dreaming.
Her head lolls back, her lips parting on a sigh. His fingers slide into her upswept hair.
“…maru,” she breathes.
His own breath escapes him. As his touch descends, her fist curls around the chunk of Jewel.
She arches her back, her upbent knee breaking the water’s surface. Her breast swells against his palm, heavy with need.
Exultation fills him.
Then, she speaks again.
“…yasha…maru…”
His grip tightens. His lips thin. Venom, acid-green, sears from his claws.
She awakens with a scream.
He rips her from the tub. She crumples before him in a shivering heap, golden hairpins clattering to the floor. Through the tangled curtain of her hair, she stares up at him, in pain and watery confusion.
He feels no pity for her. No understanding.
He feels nothing for her at all.
His voice is cold with rage. “Are you grateful to me, Kagome?”
Fear gleams in her eyes. Timidly, she nods.
“Then show me,” he says, dragging her forward by the nape as he undoes the ties of his hakama. “Show me how grateful you are.”
He thrusts hard past the seal of her lips. She chokes harshly around him, her nails scraping at his thighs. Her eyes beseech him, to no avail.
She whimpers, the corners of her mouth stretching taut as he surges past the back of her throat. Her hands fall limply. Tears brim, trickling down her cheeks.
His exultation returns, this time without savor.
But she does not glance away, even as he spends himself inside her ravaged throat. As the red heat bleeds from his eyes, he withdraws from her and sinks to his knees.
She crawls back from him, gasping and sobbing. When he pulls her into his arms, she rears to strike.
He allows it.
His face snaps to the side.
“Don’t touch me!” she cries, her palm red and shaking.
Her voice is weak and frayed, but her eyes are hard with fury. She would kill him, he thinks, if she could.
The thought makes him reach for her again. She scratches and struggles, but he brings her flush against him all the same. Her legs part around him, a low growl tearing from his throat as he sheathes himself inside her once again.
He moves her against him, her protests dwindling to a groan. Blunt nails break against his skin. Blue eyes glare into his as he unmakes them both, the half-Jewel burning between them.
His flesh singes. His blood scalds. But he does not stop.
He cannot stop.
Perhaps, he thinks, as he braces his brow against her own, his mother was right.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Awsome!!! Does he love her in a very very dark twisted way? Or is possesion what he wants, company? Why a human and not a demoness
Thanks!! Glad you liked the story 🙂
I don’t think this Sesshoumaru is capable of “love.” But it’s a matter of interpretation 😉
He knows nothing of love and would probably deny that he feels affection for anyone.
And yet he feels jealousy. Envy. He loathes seeing her with other men, specifically Inuyasha or his reincarnation. He punishes her for even mumbling Inuyasha’s name in her semi conscious state.
He is obsessed with her. He wants to possess her mind, body and soul. I guess he “loves” her in his own warped twisted way. What do you expect from a creature raised by such a mother?
While this is the darkest Sesshomaru I have read, I think your version rings truer than other incarnations created by fellow writers. At his core, Sesshomaru is a demon. Even in cannon when Rin and his interactions with others made him feel sympathy and compassion, you get a hint that Sesshomaru will always remain the outsider in the life of Inuyasha and his companions.
You know he will never live with them. I get the sense that he might still kill anyone who pisses him off. Inuyasha specifically.
Thank you!! 🙂 Yeah “outsider” is a good description for him. Regardless of whether it’s canon or the realm of fanfiction, Sesshoumaru is an aloof, enigmatic character (which is why I can’t get enough of him lol).
In the Stasis-verse, I’m just choosing to pursue the demonic angle of his personality. 😉 It’s hard for a human like me to even conceptualize a person like that, but how I like to think of him as is a kind of super-intelligent animal: capable of reason but incapable, or with limited capability for, “human” emotions. He gets angry, he gets jealous, like you said, and there are moments where he is affectionate – but ultimately he is ruthless, obsessive, and chillingly single-minded in his pursuits. Perhaps Kagome has a humanizing influence on him, as we have on our pets. But there are limits to that…
Anyway, thanks again – enjoy reading your comments, as always! 🙂
I was elated when you continued “Stasis” because it was unique, well- written and had a good plot. As dark as it was, I never felt Sesshomaru, Kagome or the others were OOC.
After years of wading through dreck, it is always a great pleasure to find stories like “Stasis”, “Unspoiled” or “Tales from the House of the Moon.”
Writers are born. They are not created through workshops and classes. You have the talent to convey with words what many cannot do.
I’m not trying to kiss your ass. I’m just thankful you take time out of your life to spin tales that take me away from my own stressful existence.
Wow, well I must say it’s an honor to have my stories mentioned in the same sentence as Forthright’s and Resmiranda’s 🙂
Storytelling has been my passion for as long as I can remember…too bad real life gets in the way. Maybe someday I’ll be able to devote myself completely to my craft.
In the meantime, thank you so much! Your support means the world, and it makes me incredibly happy to know that my stories help to give you a break from real life, too! 🙂
Stasis was truly an adventure, and I’m looking forward to the next! <3